This has happened 3 times now, during a came of tug Dakota just stopped and reacted fearfully of something. No yelp, I couldn't pin point what he was scared of. Wasn't me, wasn't the toy. First time it happened we were outside, I figured he stepped on something sharp although he didn't limp. It took me a long time to get his confidence back up, it happened again, got his confidence back up for the most part and then it happened again tonight. I was tugging with him in the living room and he just stopped, dropped down low and walked to the back door and wouldn't move. I coaxed him back out and he was really reacting to anything in particular.

Is it possible he could have something going on that's causing the pain?

I looked in his mouth and put some pressure on his teeth and got no reaction. The first time it happened he looked down. I felt all over him and didn't get a reaction, but he usually is pretty stoic as far as not whining or flinching. Which is what surprised me.

Just to give an example the other day he got a goat head in his pad and had the slightest gimp in his walk which made me stop and check his pad while biking.

Things like this are usually hard to figure out... Brina once started doing this every time i gave her a treat. She took the treat than immediately backed away with fear like i'm about to beat the hell out of her. It progressed so far that she almost stopped taking treats from me, or she would run up, take the treat quickly, then back away. I couldn't figure it out, untill one day Jaka did exactly the same. Then i started thinking that it has to be my fault if both dogs are doing it... And it sure was, it was my long nails, every time they took the treat, my nails would stab them in their gums. That was painful, especially for Brina, because she has no front teeth. I wasn't quite used to having longer nails since i've been biting them almost all of my life so it took me time to figure out what was wrong

Take a step by step analysis of the situation, take a look into his mouth, Jaka for example doesn't like tough tugs because they somehow hurt his teeth, if we use them and he gets hurt, his reaction is the same as Dakota's.

The first time it happened I was using a crazy critter fox, which is super soft. Second time a bite tug made out of bite suit material. He has a very appointment in a few weeks, I'll mention it to them and see what they think.

I was tugging roughly when it happened, but I have done that in the past.

He reacts in a similar way if you reach down to pop up the couch leg, but not nearly as severe. I was thinking that was the cause at first, but his reaction was much more than usual. Usually he'd just hop out of the way and make a big circle then relax but this time he didn't relax for several minutes and ran to the back door.

Sounds don't bother him for the most part, thunder does bother him but he always goes to his bed and shivers, pants, whale eye, etc. This one he wasn't shivering, he was pacing for the most part, no panting.

Could be a pinched nerve? Maybe a chiropractic appt is in order? My friends SWD had an issue similar after running into a jump. Every time the dog jumped for a disc it would scream but when you pushed all over the body you couldn't find anything. After a chiro visit the dog seems perfectly fine again. Some dogs are just more pain sensitive than others.

I'll have to look into finding someone around here, hopefully one of the trainers I know might know someone. I'll see what the vet says too, since I already have the appointment scheduled. I hope it's something simple and not serious. He's never been really sensitive to pain is the thing though. Which is what worries me more:(

The vet felt him and moved him around, got a very slight pain reaction in a spot behind his jaw. So we got a month's worth of Rimydl (spelling?) and we'll see how it goes. She said to wait 3 days after starting it to let it get in his systems.

And Mr.Dakota has to go in for monthly anal gland expressions now, she thinks he's one of those dogs that don't naturally express them when he goes potty, but she'll be keeping an eye on it.

Celeste, I only ask because two of my dogs are on rimydal (Shamoo for her inoperable knee and Backup while his wrist wound heals + antibiotics to actively heal it) but it doesn't solve anything, it's just to make the existing incurable pain more bearable and in a case like this I would hope they're searching for the solution not just a bandaid. Unless, possibly, they believe a painkiller will sooth him while it heals itself, but to come to that conclusion wouldn't it have to not be a mystery pain?

Either way I do hope it helps take the edge off, I just hope you can find a solution for no-pain-no-painkillers because I know how much he loves his tugging games.